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Chesapeake Trip, Restoration
Efforts
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Restoration of
the Bay is easy to talk about, hard to accomplish. A major point
of our trip was to talk to people working toward this goal. Their
efforts range from scientific research to public education and political
action. Overall, we were impressed with the effort, the level of
public awareness and resources being brought to bear on the problems
besetting the bay. |
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Understanding
the complexity of biological, physical and social factors that affect
the Bay is the first step to saving the bay. We spent a
fascinating day at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)
near Annapolis. This world-class research center hosts a wide
range of studies relevant to the Bay and broader issues as well. Above
left. we are looking at a long-term study of the effects of elevated CO2
levels on carbon cycling in a salt marsh environment. A SERC
scientist discusses his research in marine biology with one of our
students.
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The
National Aquarium in Baltimore hosts research, public education, and bay
restoration projects. In addition to the behind
the scenes tour seen on the left, we enjoyed a session on the aquarium's
educational program, and an afternoon of unstructured time in the
aquarium and Baltimore's inner harbor area. |
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Our time at the Bay
culminated with a visit to the Phillip Merril Center,
headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The building is the
first to receive the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum rating for
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The Foundation
hosts an impressive number of restoration efforts, including public
education in its many protected areas and work with policy makers to
encourage public action. It was a fitting place to end our visit
to the Bay. |
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Return to Fieldtrips Main Page |
For more information, contact Dr. Tim Lincoln, Institute for
the Study of the Environment, Albion College, Albion MI 49224.
Phone (517) 629-0486 – e-mail tlincoln@albion.edu
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